Clips stolen from thermal plant's railway track

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Patiala, June 4

Unidentified persons stole around 1,200 elastic railway clips at two different places from the private railway track being used by the Nabha Power Plant in Rajpura. After visiting the scene, police officials ruled out sabotage by hardliners.

Sabotage unlikely

Prima facie it appears to be the handiwork of thieves who are hand in glove with some scrap dealers. A police officer

The police have registered a case under Sections 379 (theft), 427 (fraudulent removal of property) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC against unidentified persons following a complaint by the thermal plant authorities.

As per the FIR, around 800 elastic railway clips along with liner were allegedly stolen from the railway tracks between Sarai Banjara and the thermal power plant, near Chandumajra village.

A senior police official said the FIR further mentioned another set of 400 clips and liner were missing from the private tracks near Chaulti Kherhi village in Fatehgarh Sahib.

“A separate complaint has been filed with the police station concerned there. Prima facie it appears to be the handiwork of thieves who are hand in glove with some scrap dealers,” said the official, ruling out any terror angle.

In the morning, two rakes carrying coal passed through the section without any untoward incident.

The incident comes on the day there a radical outfit had given a call for ‘rail roko’. However, a senior official confirmed prima facie it didn’t seem to be sabotage.

“This is the second such incident on tracks that carry coal to the thermal plant. Earlier, too, thieves have stolen railway property to for quick bucks,” said a senior official, privy to the investigation.